Google on March 8 announced the launch of its Google Public Data Explorer, which allows users to view and create charts based on a wide variety of public data, such as mortality and fertility rates. The app leverages publicly available statistics from the World Bank and other sources. Users can play with the data endlessly, filtering it through various metrics and displaying it in different types of charts and graphs. Google claims it has been using anonymous information from its users' searches to best determine what sorts of public data are most requested, and then used that to create a list of the most popular data and statistics search topics. Those results will likely continue to inform Google's process as it integrates more public data into its offerings.

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Google Public Data Explorer Breaks It Down for Students, Wonks, Stat Lovers

Nicholas Kolakowski is a staff editor at eWEEK, covering Microsoft and other companies in the enterprise space, as well as evolving technology such as tablet PCs. His work has appeared in The Washington Post, Playboy, WebMD, AARP the Magazine, AutoWeek, Washington City Paper, Trader Monthly, and Private Air. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.